Flexible Request and Response Communications Interfaces

• US 20080033965A1
• Filed: 08/03/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mohammad Salman
• Original Assignee: Mohammad Salman
• Inventors: Salman, Mohammad
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Methods and systems for database storage allowing subscriber entities to create specialized interfaces for storing different classes of information based on subscribed-defined categories and parameters, allowing for efficient search and retrieval of the information by users using the subscriber-defined categories and parameters. A method for processing a search request comprises receiving from a user a set of search terms, retrieving from a database a set of records satisfying the search terms, sending the search terms to one or more suppliers as indicated by supplier links associated with the records, receiving a set of results from the one or more suppliers, and sending the set of results to the user. A method for information storage comprises sending an interface to a supplier over a network, receiving from the supplier a supplier-defined category, a set of supplier-defined parameters associated with the category, and a supplier link, and adding a record comprising the category, the supplier link, and the set of parameters to a database, thereby allowing the database to be searched for the supplier as a provider according to the category and the parameters, and allowing the supplier to be queried via the supplier link for results according to the category and the parameters.

Claims

1. A method for defining an interface, comprising:

providing an interface to a supplier over a network, the interface allowing the supplier to define a new request type based on a set of attributes and a set of parameters, the set of parameters comprising parameter names and parameter data types;

receiving from the supplier a set of attribute values for the set of attributes, and a set of parameter names and parameter data type values for the set of parameters;

creating a request type in a database based on the set of attribute values, and associating the set of parameter names and parameter data types with the request type;

receiving from the supplier a supplier link for communicating with the supplier; and

associating the supplier link with the newly created request type,

thereby allowing the database to be searched for the supplier according to the request type and the set of parameter names and parameter data types, and allowing communication with the supplier via the supplier link for the request type.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of attributes comprises a category attribute.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of attributes comprises a supplier function attribute describing a relationship of the supplier to the category attribute.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising combining the suppler links and the search terms to obtain universal resource locators for sending the search terms to the one or more suppliers.

5. A method for extending an interface, comprising:

providing an interface to a supplier over a network, the interface allowing the supplier to extend an existing request type comprising a set of attributes;

receiving from the supplier a set of attribute values for the set of attributes, and a set of parameter names and parameter data types for the set of parameters;

retrieving a request type from a database base based on the set of attribute values; and

associating the set of parameter names and parameter data types with the request type, thereby extending the request type;

thereby allowing the database to be searched for the supplier according to the request type and the set of parameter names and parameter data types.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving from the supplier a supplier link for communicating with the supplier; and

associating the supplier link with the request type, thereby further extending the request type.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the set of attributes comprises a category attribute.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the set of attributes comprises a supplier function attribute describing a relationship of the supplier to the category attribute.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising combining the suppler links and the search terms to obtain universal resource locators for sending the search terms to the one or more suppliers.

10. A method for processing a search request, comprising:

receiving from a user a set of search terms indicating a category and a set of values assigned to a set of parameters associated with the category, the set of search terms defined previously by a supplier;

retrieving from a database a request type satisfying the search terms, the request type indicating one or more supplier links;

sending the search terms to one or more suppliers as indicated by the one or more supplier links;

receiving a set of results from the one or more suppliers in response to the search terms; and

sending the set of results to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, further receiving a supplier function from the user, the supplier function indicating a relationship of the supplier to the category.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising combining the suppler links and the search terms to obtain universal resource locators for sending the search terms to the one or more suppliers.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sending is constrained to one or more geographical locations.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

retrieving from the database one or more items satisfying the search terms; and

sending the items to the user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

filtering the retrieved items based on one or more geographical locations.

16. A system for defining an interface, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory,

the processor to;

provide an interface to a supplier over a network, the interface allowing the supplier to define a new request type based on a set of attributes and a set of parameters, the set of parameters comprising parameter names and parameter data types;

receive from the supplier a set of attribute values for the set of attributes, and a set of parameter names and parameter data type values for the set of parameters;

create a request type in a database based on the set of attribute values, and associating the set of parameter names and parameter data types with the request type;

receive from the supplier a supplier link for communicating with the supplier; and

associate the supplier link with the newly created request type, thereby allowing the database to be searched for the supplier according to the request type and the set of parameter names and parameter data types, and allowing communication with the supplier via the supplier link for the request type.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the set of attributes comprises a category attribute.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the set of attributes comprises a supplier function attribute describing a relationship of the supplier to the category attribute.

19. The system of claim 16, the processor further to combine the suppler links and the search terms to obtain universal resource locators for sending the search terms to the one or more suppliers.

20. A system for extending an interface, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory,

the processor to;

provide an interface to a supplier over a network, the interface allowing the supplier to extend an existing request type comprising a set of attributes;

receive from the supplier a set of attribute values for the set of attributes, and a set of parameter names and parameter data types for the set of parameters;

retrieve a request type from a database base based on the set of attribute values; and

associate the set of parameter names and parameter data types with the request type, thereby extending the request type,

thereby allowing the database to be searched for the supplier according to the request type and the set of parameter names and parameter data types.

21. The system of claim 20, the processor further to:

receive from the supplier a supplier link for communicating with the supplier; and

associate the supplier link with the request type, thereby further extending the request type.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the set of attributes comprises a category attribute.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the set of attributes comprises a supplier function attribute describing a relationship of the supplier to the category attribute.

24. The system of claim 20, the processor further to combine the suppler links and the search terms to obtain universal resource locators for sending the search terms to the one or more suppliers.

25. A system for processing a search request, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory,

the processor to;

receive from a user a set of search terms indicating a category and a set of values assigned to a set of parameters associated with the category, the set of search terms defined previously by a supplier;

retrieve from a database a request type satisfying the search terms, the request type indicating one or more supplier links;

send the search terms to one or more suppliers as indicated by the one or more supplier links;

receive a set of results from the one or more suppliers in response to the search terms; and

send the set of results to the user.

26. The system of claim 25, the processor further to receive a supplier function from the user, the supplier function indicating a relationship of the supplier to the category.

27. The system of claim 25, the processor further to combine the suppler links and the search terms to obtain universal resource locators for sending the search terms to the one or more suppliers.

28. The system of claim 25, the processor further to:

retrieve from the database one or more items satisfying the search terms; and

send the items to the user.

29. The system of claim 28, the processor further to:

filter the retrieved items based on one or more geographical locations.